Exhaust manifold heat valve



Sept. 20, 1966 o. B. KUlPER EXHAUST MANIFOLD HEAT VALVE Filed May 4:,1964 IN VENTOR. 99cm 5. Afu 'ver ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,273,798EXHAUST MANIFOLD HEAT VALVE Dan B. Kuiper, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignorto General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of DelawareFiled May 4, 1964, Ser. No. 364,678 1 Claim. (Cl. 236-93) This inventionrelates to valves such as are used, for example, in controlling flow inan internal combustion engine exhaust passage. It has particularapplication to exhaust heat control valves which close automaticallywhen the engine is cold to direct the exhaust gases through a carburetorheat box, and open automatically when the engine warms up and suchcarburetor heat is no longer desired.

One of the long standing problems with such manifold heat control valveshas been that they tend to stick open or shut due to corrosioninterfering with free operation of their mounting in the exhaustpassage. This problem has been eliminated with my invention by arrangingthe valve to be mounted for opening and closing movement solely underthe control of the thermostatic bimetallic valve operating member. Thusmy valve has no direct pivotal connection in the exhaust passage butmoves with the free end of the bimetallic element and is entirely supported through the latter whose other end is suitably fixed in theexhaust passage. Also, by arranging my valve and bimetallic element in ashort casing having a flange at one end, a device is obtained which canbe installed and removed as a unit from between the abutting pipe endsat a joint in the engine exhaust piping.

These and other advantages and objects of the invention will be readilyapparent from the following description of one specific embodimentthereof selected for purposes of illustration, having reference to thedrawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view of a V-type internal combustionengine, showing my valve device located in one of the exhaustmanifolding and piping connections.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through the connectionincorporating my valve device and showing details of its mountingtherein.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the valve device in said connection.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, there is shown an engine 1 ofconventional V-type having left and right cylinder banks 2 and 3 betweenwhich is a connecting intake manifold 4 mounting a carburetor 5. Theexhaust manifolds 6 and 7 are on the outboard sides of each bank, theright manifold 7 being connected to one leg 8 of an exhaust pipe Y 9,and the left exhaust manifold 6 being connected to the other leg 10 ofthe Y by means of a crossover pipe 11. Interiorly of the intake manifold4 are a suitable heat box and exhaust gas passages (not shown) whichconnect the respective exhaust manifolds for directing warming exhaustgas in heat conducting relation with the intake manifold fuel passagesduring engine warm-up For this purpose, it is necessary to provide meansto restrict normal exhaust flow from the left bank exhaust manifold 6through the crossover pipe 11 during such times as the engine isoperating at relatively low temperatures.

3,273,798 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 ice My improved valve device 14 isshown located for this purpose at the connection between the left bankexhaust manifold 6 and the crossover pipe 11. As best seen in FIGURES 2and 3, this device comprises a relatively short section of casing 15which is inserted into the upper end 16 of the crossover pipe 11, andwhich has a flange 17 which extends between the abutting end of the pipe16 and the adjacent end of the exhaust manifold 6. A conventional clamp18 is shown securing these abutting ends of the manifold 6 and thecrossover pipe 11 together with the flange 17 of my casing interposedtherebetween.

Extending transversely within the casing 15 is a post in the form of asquare cross section metal rod 19, the ends of which are suitably fixedto the opposite side walls of the casing 15. Secured to this post 19,intermediate its ends, is the fixed inner end 20 of a thermostaticspiral spring element 21 of bimetallic material, whose movable outer end22 is suitably fixed to one side of a plate-like valve 23. In FIGURE 2,this valve and its associated end of bimetallic element are shown bysolid lines in their valve closed positions, and are shown by phantomlines in their valve open positions. Lanced out sections of the casing15 form stops 24 and 25 against which the valve abuts in its openposition. During engine operation while cold the bimetallic elementtends to wind up around the post 19 and bias the valve to its closedposition shown (solid lines). As the engine continues to operate and themanifold 6 and crossover pipe increase in temperature, the thermostaticspring element 21 unwinds and its free end bodily carries the valve 23with it to their broken line positions shown in FIGURE 2.

Since the valve is completely suspended and supported for opening andclosing movement by the bimetallic element, and has no direct pivotalconnection with the metal parts of the exhaust passage, the problemsencountered with conventional constructions of such valves sticking dueto corrosion are entirely avoided. Also, by reason of the valve 23 andbimetallic spring element 21 forming a separate subassembly with thecasing 15, a self-contained unit is provided which can be inserted andreplaced as necessary in the exhaust passage without requiringreplacement of either the manifold or its connecting pipe. If thelocation of the control valve at the joint between the crossover pipe 11and the exhaust manifold 6 is too close to the engine for properoperating temperature, the valve may be located instead at theconnection between the crossover pipe and the Y 9.

Although my invention has been described and shown with particularreference to one specific embodiment, it is appreciated that minorchanges in the parts and their arrangment can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the followingclaim.

I claim:

A valve device adapted to be located in an exhaust passage of aninternal combustion engine for controlling the flow of engine exhaustgases through said passage in response to engine operating temperature,said exhaust passage comprising two axially adjacent conduits separablyjoined in abutting relation, said valve device comprising a casingadapted to be inserted into one of said conduits, said casing having aflange adapted to extend between said conduit ends, a generallyplate-shaped valve, a thermostatically responsive spirally woundelement, and a post fixed to the inner spiral terminus of said elementand at one end to a side of the casing, said valve being fixed to theouter spiral terminus of said element for movement therewith about saidinner terminus between first and second positions respectively generallynormal to and parallel with the axis of said casing in response tospiral Winding and unwinding of said element with change in temperature,said casing having first and second stops formed therein, said firststop preventing movement of said valve beyond said position generallynormal to the ,aXis of said casing and said second stop preventingmovement of aid valve beyond said position generally parallel with theaxis of said casing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Hall 23634Boydston 23612 Root 236-34 Mulcey et al 23693 McCollum 23634 X Reid236-93 Weber 236-93 X ALDEN D. STEWART, Primary Examiner.

